Process and apparatus for dry-cleaning



July 7, 1925. 1,545,091

A. E. FLOWERS PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DRY CLEANING Filed Aug. 5. 1924 TRAP WASHER Dr E 2 E 4 a E p. I 2 I //VVEA/70R WIT/V588: /4/an E. F/owens 7 ATTORNEYS.

t atented July 7, 1925. Y

I ALAN E. FLOWERS, OF POUGEKEEPSIE,

erun om.

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 1'0 THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOROOMPANY, 01 NEW YORK, N. 2., A CORPORATION NEW JERSEY.

Application filed August To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ALAN E. From, a citizen of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, county of Dutchess, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful. Improvement ,in. Processes and Apparatus- .for Dry-Cleaning, of which the 'following is a full, clear, and

exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

'tively, clean fluid being then An eificient type of dry cleaner comprises a Washer (which may be a rotatable or oscillatable cylinder in which the clothes to be cleaned are deposited and through which the cleaning fluid, such as gasoline, continuously. circulates),a pipe through which the dirty gasoline is pumped, a centrifuge (which may be .a twooutlet purifier or a single outle't clarifier, wherein the dirt is removed),

and a pipe for conveying the centrifugally may escape from the tank.

Withor without the use of a processing tank, the continuous clarification system. 1nsures the passage of clean gasoline to the washer. The treatment in the processing tank is a batch. treatment, and involves the withdrawalof the gasoline from the system from twoto eighteen hours, which in turn involves the shutting downof. the continuous clarifier systenyfor a considerable time, i or the provision of underground storage c arification system indicates no contaminatanks for storing an extra supply of gaso- A line to be used in the continuous clarification system while a batch of previously used gasoline is being processed. q

While the-bad color which gasoline acuires after prolonged use in the continuous tion which afl'ects the efificiency of the gaso line as a cleaning medium, it is dificult to rnocnss AND arram'rus roa 'nnr-c1r.uenrne 5, 1924. Serial No. 730,137.

present invention is to providea process and means whereby the gasoline can be decolorized without withdrawing the gasoline from much increase ystem of any illustrative of the preferred way of carrying out the process, is shown in the accompanyng drawings, in which" ig. 1 is a diagraim in elevation of a corn tinuous clarification invention.

"Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the centrifugal clarifier, q

Fig. 3 is'a detail sectional elevation of the decolorizing vessel. y i From the washer a extends a pipe 6, in which is. interposed a traps for catching and retaining large solid particles, and a' pump The pipe b communicates with a centrifugal machine e, which is preferably a system embodying my multiple clarifier comprising two chambers one within the other through .which the dirty gasoline successively passes and on the walls of which the dirt is deposited and retained. From the clarifier the cleaned gasoline returns to the washer.

From the pipe f leading from the clarifier e to thewasher a is a by-pass pipe t emptying into a funnel g 'on the upper end of a rotatable feed tube 12. extending into a tank The bottom'of the tank is of reduced diameter, forming an agitating and treating chamber m. The tube 72, extends down through the tank to near'the bottom thereof,

where it is provided with radial branches i provided with discharge orifies yi, which preferably are formed in that side of each branch which, in rotation, isthe rear side.

The chamber m contains a more or less finely Tdivideddecoloring agent, of which many are own. any active adsorbent, such as fullers earth, may be substituted. Near the top of the tank is an. annular trough n providing a weir-over which the gasoline flows from the Activated carbon is preferred, but

' body of the tank, the gasoline discharging y from the trough into a pipe 0, which com- 0 and the pump (2.

By reason bf the rotation of the tube It municates with the pipe b between the trap convince users of this fact. The demand a, gasoline of good color. The ob ect of the lid and the discharge of the gasoline into the chamber m in a number of fine streams, the

' decolorizing agent and the gasoline are y of good color.

tling in thoroughly agitated and mixed. The continuous upward flow of the gasoline tends to carryin the decolorizing agent along with it and to some extent does so; but while particles of the decolorizing agent are constantly rising, they are also constantly setcounter-current to the flow of gasoline. The upper part of the body of gasoline is substantially quiescentand free of particles of the decolorizing agent and flows qui lzkly over the weir n and hence out of the tan The size of the decolorizing tank or chamber is such that the volume of gasoline which it is capable of treating at any one time is but a fractional part of the volume of gasoline that, during the same period of 'time, is flowing from the the clarifier to the washer. Hence, while all the dirty gasoline flowing from the washer is proportion of such gasoline,in a single on cuit of travel, is however, as an objectionable deteriorationof color occurs only as the result of a number of washing operations, is is obvious thatthe described by-passing of fractional parts of the gasoline will maintain the entire volume The by-pass pipe 7 is controlled by a valve '0, which is set to fix the rate of flow of the gasoline through the decolorizing tank. The latter may be, there fore, of any desired maximum capacity, and its full capacity need not be utilized in the normal operation of the system.

The discharge of the decolorizing gasoline into the pipe I) insures its subsequent .centrifugation, thereby insuring the removal of any particles of the adsorbent that may be carried out of the decolorizing tank.

It will be understood that the term clarifier as used in the claims is intended to comprehend any means adapted to remove dirt, including settling tanks, filters and particularly a centrifuge, whether such dirt be discharged from the centrifuge, as in the case of a two outlet centrifugal purifier, or whether it be retained in the centrifugal bowl. 4

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1.- In a continuous clarification dry cleaning system, the combination with a washer, a clarifier, a series of pipes and a pump, whereby cleaning liquid may be caused to circulate in an endless path through said washer and clarifier and back to the washer,

of a by-pass interposed in said endess path and adapted to receive liquid from and discharge liquid to said endless path, and a decolorizing contrivance interposed in saidbynass, whereby the cleaning liquid maybe declarified, only a small decolorized Inasmuch,

ing liquid is returned to the washer, a con-' trivance for decolorizing the washing liquid,

means to convey cleaned liquid from the second pipe connection to the decolorizing contrivance, and means to convey liquid decolorized in said contrivance back to the first pipe connection. I

3. in a continuous clarification dry cleaning system, the combination with a washer, a clarifier, a series of pipes and a pump, whereby cleaning, liquid may be caused to circulate in an endless path through said washer and clarifier and back tothe washer,

of a by-pass interposed in said endless path and adapted charge liquid to said endless path,

to receive liquid fromand disand a ,de-

colorizing contrivance interposed in said by-' pass, said decolorizing contrivance comprising ceive a decolorizing agent, a tube extendin vertically through the tank and throu' which the'by-pass liquid is conveyed to t 0- reduced bottom, and an annular weir inthe upperapart of the tank over which the dea tank having a reduced bottom to recolorized liquid overflows into the discharge end'fof the by-pass.

4. In a continuous clarification dry cleaning system, a clarifier, a series of pipes whereby cleaning liquid circulate in an endless path through said washer and clarifier and back to the washer,

and a pump,

of a by-pass interposed in said endless path and adapted to receive liquid from and discharge liquid to said endless path, and a decolorizin contrivance interposed .in said bypass, sai decolorizing contrivance comprising-a tank having a reduced bottom to rethe combination with -a washer,

may be caused to ceive a decolorizing agent, a rotatable tube extending vertically through the tank and through which the by-passed liquid is conveyed downward, hollow lateral arms on thebottom of the'tube communicating with its interior and orificed to discharge the liquid into the reduced bottom of the tank and efl'ect the agitation of the liquid and decolorizing' agent, and means at the upper part of the tank to skim ofi' the decolorizing liquid and convey it to the discharge en of the by-pass.

5. The process of dry cleaning comprising establishing an endless flow of a cleaning liquid and in the course of its flow sue cessively washing with it and clarifying it, diyerting from the endless flowing. stream a portion of the flowing liquid, decolorizing the diverted liquid, and returning the decolorized liquid to the endless stream.

6. The process of dry cleaning comprising maintaining a body of cleaning liquid and utilizing said body for washing, continuously outflowing dirty liquid from said body and continuously clarifying it, dividing the flowing stream of clarified liquid into two streams of difl'erent volume, conveying the stream of greater volume con tinuously to said body of liquid, subjecting the stream of lesser volume to a decolorizing action, and conveying the decolorizing liqui back to the main stream of dirty liquid flowing from saidbody of liquid to the locus of clarification.

7. The process of dry cleaning comprising maintaining a body of cleaning liquid and utilizing saidbody for washing, causing, from said body, a continuous outflow of dirty liquid and continuously clarifying it, dividing the flowing stream of clarified liquid into two streams, conveying one stream continuously to said body of liquid and subjecting the other stream to a decolorizing action, and conveying the decolorizing liquid back to the main stream of dirty liquid flowing from said body of liquid to, the locus of clarification.

8. The process of dry cleaning comprising establishing an endless flow of a cleaning liquid and in'the course of its flow successively washing with it and clarifying it, diverting from the endless flowing stream a portion of the flowing liquid, conveying the diverted liquid to a body of said liquid, subjecting the lower part of said body of liquid to agitation with a decolorizing agent, and skimming decolorized liquid from the upper portion of the last named body of liquid and returning it to the endless stream.

9. The process of dry cleaning comprising establishing an endless flowing stream of cleansing liquid, at one point in its flow using it for washing, at another point in its flow clarifying it, at another point diverting a portion of the stream of clarified liquid, decolorizing said portion and returning it to the stream. I I

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Poughkeepsie, New York, on this 31st day of July, 1924;.

ALAN E. FLOWERS. 

